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Christmas is a time for gathering at home, but it’s also an occasion when many Americans celebrate by treating themselves to a nice meal out with family and friends. So with the holiday season drawing to close, we dove into the data to see which dining segments benefited from the holiday cheer.
The holiday season is all about home-cooked meals, and most restaurants close on Christmas Day – so it may come as no surprise that visits to dining establishments dropped significantly on December 25th, 2024. Fast-casual and quick-service restaurants (QSRs) saw the steepest traffic declines of 92.7% and 83.2%, respectively, compared to a year-to-date (YTD) daily average. Meanwhile, full-service restaurants (FSRs), aided primarily by all-day breakfast chains (see below), saw visits dip by a relatively modest 58.0%.
On Christmas Eve, too, restaurant foot traffic slowed, with visits to fast-casual restaurants and QSRs dipping to 35.5% and 25.1%, respectively, below average levels. Once again, FSR led the pack with a smaller 11.0% visit decline. And on December 26th – the day after the holiday – full-service restaurants saw a 7.0% visit uptick, while QSRs and fast-casual saw visits hover just under daily averages.
But digging deeper into the data reveals a more nuanced picture of the Christmas dining scene. Throughout the holiday, some FSR segments and chains enjoy outsized visit spikes – cementing their roles as key holiday destinations for families seeking to ditch the kitchen chaos and enjoy a hassle-free, celebratory meal.
On Christmas Eve (December 24th, 2024), for example, visits to upscale and fine dining chains surged by a remarkable 54.4% compared to a YTD daily average – fueled by visit spikes at premium chains such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House (129.8%) and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (125.9%). Breakfast spots also enjoyed a significant 18.4% Christmas Eve visit bump, likely bolstered by seasonal offerings like Denny’s Holiday Turkey Bundle. Meanwhile, traffic at eatertainment chains and other casual dining restaurants slowed considerably – though some casual dining brands like experiential The Melting Pot and Benihana also bustled with activity.
On Christmas Day, it was breakfast chains that once again led the day – staying open to serve up hearty meals to those looking for an affordable holiday outing. Visits to leading breakfast spots, including segment leaders like Waffle House, IHOP, and Denny’s soared by 53.6% compared to a YTD daily average, with Waffle House in particular stealing the show with a 109.6% visit boost.
Still, Christmas Day diners also flocked to other full-service chains that kept their doors open. Fogo de Chão, which attracted celebrants with an indulgent seasonal menu, saw visits soar by 111.4%. And after increasing by 63.2% on Christmas Eve (see above), visits to Benihana surged by 103.9% on December 25th, reaffirming the restaurant’s place in holiday dining lore (“A Benihana Christmas”, it seems, isn’t just for fans of The Office).
On December 26th, all the analyzed FSR segments enjoyed visit bumps, as many Americans took the day off to extend the holiday cheer. But it was eatertainment chains that saw the most pronounced traffic boost (26.2%), buoyed by families and friends looking to unwind with good food and games – many armed with holiday gift cards.
But plenty of other FSRs also thrived on Boxing Day with impressive mid-week traffic increases, including perennial favorites like P.F. Chang’s (+35.2%), The Cheesecake Factory (+28.1%), and Buffalo Wild Wings (+26.1%).
Food remains at the heart of the holiday experience – with elevated dining, affordable comfort food, and eatertainment all adding to the festive spirit. And in 2024, restaurants delivered very merry results. How will the industry continue to perform in the new year?
Follow Placer.ai’s data-driven dining analyses to find out.
Insomnia Cookies, one of the first companies to innovate in the cookie retail space, is known for its late opening hours and classic cookie flavors. The company started in 2003 by selling fresh-baked cookies to college students and now operates over 300 locations globally. Meanwhile, Crumbl Cookies – known for its celebrity collaborations and intensely loyal social media fanbase – came onto the scene in 2017 and has since grown to over 1,000 franchised locations.
Both chains are expanding, and diving into the foot traffic data reveals that overall visits as well as average visits per location are still growing for both chains – indicating that the cookie craze is still going strong.
Analyzing visit growth at smaller cookie chains also highlights the strong demand for creative cookie concepts. Crave Cookies (established in 2022), Dirty Dough (2018), Chip Cookies (2016), and Chip City Cookies (2017) are all enjoying strong foot traffic growth relative to 2023, thanks in part to ongoing expansions. Like Crumbl and Insomnia, Crave Cookies, Dirty Dough, Chip Cookies, and Chip City Cookies are all growing their fleet – and the steady stream of store openings has driven consistent YoY visit growth.
The increasing visits to both the larger chains and the smaller cookie brands suggests that the demand for cookies has yet to peak and is likely to continue in 2025. And with these chains still looking to grow, how can location analytics uncover the best opportunities for growth?
A closer look at the demographic makeup of visitors to the analyzed cookie chains suggests that some of these chains’ consistently strong performance may be due to the relative affluence of their consumer base: The STI: PopStats dataset reveals that all of the chains' captured markets – with the exception of Insomnia Cookies – have higher shares of wealthy consumer segments than their potential one. (A chain’s potential market is obtained by weighting each Census Block Group (CBG) in its trade area according to population size, thus reflecting the overall makeup of the chain’s trade area. A business’ captured market, on the other hand, is obtained by weighting each CBG according to its share of visits to the chain in question – and thus represents the profile of its actual visitor base).
Among the analyzed chains, Chip City Cookies attracted visitors from the highest-income areas, with a captured market median HHI of $117.3K – $16.0K higher than its potential market median HHI of $101.3K. Crumbl, Crave, Dirty Dough, Chip, and Chip City also drew visitors from higher-income areas relative to their potential market median HHI.
In contrast, Insomnia Cookies was the only chain with a lower median HHI in its captured market relative to its potential market, likely reflecting its positioning as a late-night snack option for college students.
The relatively high-income of cookie consumers may be partially due to the chains’ popularity with suburban segments: According to the Spatial.ai: PersonaLive dataset, almost all the analyzed chains saw a higher share of “Upper Suburban Diverse Families” and “Wealthy Suburban Families” in their captured markets compared to their potential market. Meanwhile, the shares of “Young Urban Singles” and “Young Professionals” were lower across nearly all the analyzed chains’ captured market relative to their potential markets.
And once again, Insomnia Cookies stood out – the company’s captured market included an outsized share of “Young Professionals” and “Young Urban Singles,” perhaps due to the company's positioning as a late-night college campus favorite.
Taken together, this data suggests that, unless a chain is focused on acquiring a specific audience segment – like Insomnia did when targeting younger, less affluent consumers such as college students – most cookie chains are most likely to thrive in affluent suburban markets.
The enjoyment provided by a sweet treat is universal – but will these cookie chains retain their edge as the dessert shop market grows increasingly crowded?
Visit Placer.ai to keep up-to-date with the latest data-driven dining insights.
Super Saturday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, sees stores bustling with last-minute shoppers searching for gifts and holiday essentials. But how did this year's event measure up – and what trends and surprises emerged? We analyzed the data to find out.
On December 21st, 2024 retail foot traffic across the U.S. surged by 58.0% compared to the year-to-date daily average – reaffirming Super Saturday’s status as the ultimate day for eleventh-hour gift shopping. And in another sign that holiday season shopping has evolved into a multi-day affair, the pre-Christmas milestone once again outpaced Black Friday, with the shopping momentum extending throughout the weekend.
Despite this year’s strong performance, 2024’s Super Saturday spike didn’t quite match last year’s extraordinary showing (+74.4% above the 2023 daily average) – a predictable shortfall, given 2023’s unique confluence of circumstances, when Super Saturday coincided with “Christmas Eve Eve” (December 23rd). But with Sunday’s strong consumer turnout this year, and Monday, December 23rd offering even more opportunities for consumers to hit the stores, 2024’s pre-Christmas traffic could well surpass last year’s final tally.
Though Super Saturday outperformed Black Friday nationwide, the resonance of the milestone varied by region. In most of the Midwest – a traditional Black Friday hot spot – as well as Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee, Black Friday drew bigger visit spikes than the Saturday before Christmas. But in the majority of states, including major Pacific and Mountain region markets, Super Saturday visits outpaced the post-Thanksgiving frenzy.
Diving into specific retail categories shows that Super Saturday’s impact also differed across segments.
Department stores emerged in 2024 as clear Super Saturday winners, with December 21st visits to the category soaring a remarkable 128.7% compared to an average Saturday this year – up from 119.4% in 2023 and 101.1% in 2022. Recreational & sporting goods, beauty & self care, hobbies, gifts & crafts, clothing, and shopping centers also delivered impressive Super Saturday performances, with relative visit boosts approaching, or in some cases even exceeding those seen last year.
Superstores, discount & dollar stores, and grocery stores, for their parts – all food-oriented segments that typically see significant visit boosts on the day before Christmas Eve – were especially impacted by last year’s Super Saturday/December 23rd “double whammy”. So unsurprisingly, their Super Saturday visit boosts were noticeably smaller this year. Electronics stores also saw a more moderate Super Saturday boost in 2024, perhaps due to this year’s more extended window for online shopping between Super Saturday and Christmas.
Still, all the analyzed categories saw bigger relative Super Saturday visit peaks than in 2022, when the milestone fell a full week before Christmas (December 17th), leaving shoppers plenty of time to place orders online or hit the stores during the following week.
Indeed, despite competing with last year’s “double whammy”, several department store brands saw significant year-over-year (YoY) Super Saturday visit growth – including Nordstrom (8.8%), Bloomingdales (4.7%), and JCPenney (1.3%). And the fun wasn’t limited to the department store sector: Other important gift-buying destinations, such as Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (7.3%), T.J. Maxx (4.6%), and Five Below (4.2%), also saw substantial YoY foot traffic increases – underscoring retail’s resilience in what remains a challenging environment.
While Black Friday remains the traditional kickoff for the holiday shopping frenzy, Super Saturday has carved out a prestigious role of its own. With strong national foot traffic, standout regional performances, and category-specific surprises, it’s clear that Super Saturday is more than just an encore – it’s a headliner in its own right. How will retail foot traffic continue to unfold during the tail end of 2024?
Follow Placer.ai’s data driven retail analyses to find out.
As prime destinations for everything from ready-made meals to affordable treats, today’s c-stores are a far cry from the pit stops of yesteryear. But how has the segment performed in recent months – and what lies ahead for it in 2025? We dove into the data to find out.
The c-store segment has undergone a transformation in recent years as many category leaders significantly elevated their food, beverage, and experiential offerings, leaning into growing demand for affordable, convenient groceries and takeaway. Today, convenience stores can often be exciting destinations in their own rights – and eager customers are paying attention.
Analyzing visitation trends to c-stores highlights just how successful this reinvention has been for the category. Monthly c-store visits have surged past the segment’s pre-pandemic baseline, with November 2024 c-store traffic 15.5% higher than in November 2018.
Still, the data also indicates that growth has plateaued – year-over-year (YoY) traffic for the c-store segment has remained relatively flat in 2024, with November 2024 visits down 3.3% YoY. But diving into the individual chains’ visitation patterns reveals that many chains, including Buc-ee’s, Circle K, Kwik Trip, Maverik, and are outperforming the wider segment and continuing to see impressive YoY growth – in large part thanks to aggressive expansions.
Looking at the most visited c-store chain in each CBSAs out of the chains analyzed in the graph above reveals that most CBSAs are home to a growing c-store chain. Maverik gets the most visits in the Southwest, while Kwik Trip’s is more popular in the Midwest. Buc-ees has a stronghold on the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, while Circle K receives traffic all over the country. This suggests that demand for c-store offerings are growing nationwide – despite the plateauing of category-wide visits – and that c-store brands that can offer consumers innovative products and experiences are well-positioned to continue thriving in 2025 and beyond.
C-stores have demonstrated incredible resilience and adaptability, cementing their roles as key destinations for price-conscious shoppers eager to stretch their dollars – without compromising on quality. With regional markets still brimming with opportunities, which chains will lead the way in redefining convenience for 2025?
For more data-driven consumer insights, visit placer.ai.
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A decade after declaring bankruptcy, Detroit is coming back to life. The city is experiencing a resurgence that is bringing new energy to its streets – and an increase in the population of the wider CBSA.
We took a look at some of the data points highlighting the return of the Motor City to better understand what is driving the city’s growth.
Detroit is making a comeback – undergoing a transformation from a depressed city to a viable and exciting place to live and work. Between July 2022 and July 2023, the city’s population grew for the first time in 66 years, likely thanks to economic revitalization efforts, a thriving tech scene, and a newfound “cool factor” driving inbound migration. And looking at more recent numbers for the wider CBSA indicates that the trend is continuing – net migration to the Detroit-Warren-Dearborne CBSA was either neutral or positive every month between January and August 2024.
This sustained net migration suggests that this growth is not a one-off – Detroit is increasingly becoming a place recognized for the opportunities it offers, economic and otherwise.
Diving into the CBSAs feeding Detroit’s domestic migration boom reveals that many of the Motor City’s newest residents are coming from other areas in Michigan. Between May 2023 and May 2024, the top five feeder CBSAs for migration to Detroit were located in the Wolverine State, accounting for over a third (35.4%) of new Detroit residents. The influx of Michiganders into Detroit may mean that Detroit’s new residents come with an already strong regional identity and are invested in continuing to revitalize Detroit.
The data also reveals that many of Detroit’s new residents came from areas with higher median household incomes (HHI) than the city’s: Around 33.8% of incoming residents came from areas where the median HHI was $100K and up, compared to just 31.6% of Detroit residents in that HHI bracket. The influx of higher-income residents to the area highlights just how well Detroit has reinvented itself, becoming an increasingly desirable destination for wealthier individuals – a positive feedback loop that could continue driving its economic growth.
Detroit has been known by many names over the years – Motown, Detroit Rock City, The Paris of the West – and today, it’s earning a new title: the Comeback City. With a positive economic outlook, steady population growth, and a thriving cultural scene, the future looks bright for Detroit.
Stay up to date with the latest data-driven civic insights at Placer.ai.
Chicken restaurants have seen a huge surge in popularity over the past few years, from the epic Chicken Wars of 2021 to the impressive stateside success of international chains. And analyzing recent data indicates that fried chicken concepts are likely to continue as a top growth segment in 2025 as well.
We dove into the visit numbers to see how the segment is faring and highlighted some of the chains making the biggest splash.
In a dining segment that’s faced its fair share of challenges of late, chicken restaurant chains are standing out. Visits to QSR and fast-casual chicken chains consistently outperformed the wider fast-casual and QSR segments in terms of YoY visits, with the chicken category seeing a 4.3% YoY traffic boost in Q3 2024.
As diners continue to prioritize convenient and affordable meals in the face of continued economic uncertainty, chicken-centric restaurants – which offer both value and speed – seem well-positioned to continue thriving.
Diving into the visitation data for some of the category’s chicken leaders reveals that many of the bigger names in the game are not only growing their storefleet – they’re also continuing to drive more visits to each location.
Dave’s Hot Chicken, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, and Church’s Texas Chicken each attract millions of visits to their brick-and-mortar location every month – and traffic is steadily growing thanks to the three chains' expanding footprint. And location analytics reveal that these brands are also seeing strong growth in monthly visits per location – highlighting the impressive demand for fried chicken and showcasing these companies’ ability to grow their consumer base through fleet expansions.
Another indication of the fried chicken market’s continued growth potential comes from the success of smaller brands flourishing alongside the category leaders. Chains like Pollo Campero, Urban Bird Hot Chicken, Layne’s Chicken Fingers, and Super Chix may not be competing with industry leaders yet – but their impressive YoY visit growth highlights consumers’ current appetite for fried chicken franchises.
The four analyzed chains enjoyed strong monthly visits in 2024 relative to 2023, with November 2024 visits elevated between 13.1% and 29.1% YoY.
Whether these smaller chains are fueling their growth by offering an innovative twist on the traditional fried bird or benefiting from homegrown loyalty, the bottom line remains clear. Despite operating in a market that's getting more crowded by the day, there's ample opportunity for new players to throw their feathered caps in the ring.
The fried chicken segment remains a high-demand category, evidenced by the segment’s strong visit performance over the past year. With fried chicken chains continuing to expand across the country, will they maintain their visit dominance? Or will the cluck stop somewhere?
Visit Placer.ai to stay up-to-date with the latest data-driven dining insights.
The Fitness industry was a major post-pandemic winner. Visits to gyms across the country surged as stay-at-home orders ended and people returned to their in-person workout routines. And even as consumers reduced discretionary spending in the face of inflation, they kept going to the gym – finding room in their budgets for the chance to embrace wellness and get in shape while interacting with other people.
But no category can sustain such unabated growth forever – and as the segment inevitably stabilizes, gyms will need to stay nimble on their feet to maintain their competitive edge.
This white paper takes a closer look at the state of Fitness as the category transitions into a more stable growth phase following two years of outsize post-pandemic demand. The report digs into the location analytics to reveal how the Fitness space has changed – and what strategies gyms can adopt to stay ahead of the pack.
*This report excludes locations within Washington state due to local legislation.
Monthly visits to the Fitness category have grown consistently year over year (YoY) since early 2022, when COVID subsided and gyms returned to full capacity. And the segment is still doing remarkably well. Even in January and March 2024 – when visits were curtailed by an Arctic blast and by the Easter holiday weekend – YoY Fitness visits remained positive, despite the comparison to an already strong 2023.
Still, recent months have seen smaller YoY increases than last year, indicating that the Fitness category is entering a more normalized growth phase.
By keeping a close watch on evolving consumer preferences, fitness chains can uncover new opportunities for growth and adaptation within a stabilizing market – including leaning into increasingly popular dayparts.
Examining the evolving distribution of gym visits by daypart over the past six years shows that major shifts were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2021, as remote work took hold, gyms saw their share of 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM visits increase from 15.8% to 18.6%. Though this trend partially reversed as the pandemic receded, afternoon visits remained elevated in Q1 2024 compared to pre-COVID – likely a reflection of hybrid work patterns that leave people free to take an exercise break during their workdays.
At the same time, the share of morning visits to fitness chains (between 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM) dropped from 20.5% in Q1 2019 to 17.2% in Q1 2024, while evening visits (between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM) increased from 11.3% to 13.2%.
Gyms that recognize this changing behavior can adapt to new workout preferences – whether by incentivizing morning visits, scheduling popular classes mid-afternoon, or offering extended evening hours.
In fact, the data indicates that gyms that are leaning into the evening workout trend are already finding success: Of the top 12 most-visited gym chains in the country, those that saw bigger increases in their shares of evening visits also tended to see greater YoY visit growth.
EōS Fitness and Crunch Fitness, for example, have seen their shares of evening visits grow by 5.5% and 3.4%, respectively, since COVID – and in Q1 2024, their YoY visits grew by 29.0% and 21.8%, respectively. Other chains, including 24 Hour Fitness and Chuze Fitness, experienced similar shifts in visit patterns. At the same time, LA Fitness saw just a minor increase in its share of evening visits between Q1 2019 and Q1 2024, and a correspondingly small increase in YoY visits.
As the evening workout slot gains popularity, gym operators that can adapt to these new trends and encourage evening visits may see significant benefits in the years to come.
Diving into demographic data for the analyzed gym chains sheds light on some factors that may be driving this heightened preference for evening workouts at top-performing gyms.
The four fitness chains that experienced the greatest YoY visit boosts in Q1 – Crunch Fitness, EōS Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and Chuze Fitness – all featured trade areas with significantly higher-than-average shares of Young Professionals and Non-Family Households. (STI: PopStat’s Non-Family Household segment includes households with more than one person not defined as family members. Spatial.ai: PersonaLive’s Young Professional consumer segment includes young professionals starting their careers in white collar or technical jobs.)
In plainer terms, these consumer segments – typically young, well-educated, and without children – and therefore more likely to be flexible in their workout times – are driving visits to some of the best-performing gyms across the country. And these audiences seem to be displaying a preference for nighttime sweat sessions – a factor that gyms can take into account when planning programming and marketing efforts.
Leaning into emerging gym visitation patterns is one way for fitness chains to thrive in 2024 – but it isn’t the only marker of success for the segment. Even after years of visit growth, the market remains open to new opportunities and innovations that meet health-conscious consumers where they are.
STRIDE Fitness, a gym that offers treadmill-based interval training, has sparked a trend among running enthusiasts. This niche player is finding success, particularly among a specific demographic: runners and endurance training enthusiasts.
Between January and April 2024, monthly YoY visits to STRIDE Fitness consistently outperformed the wider Fitness space. A standout month was January, when STRIDE Fitness’s visits soared by an impressive 33.6% YoY, surpassing the industry average of 5.7% for the same period.
Psychographic data from the Spatial.ai’s FollowGraph dataset – which looks at the social media activity of a given audience – suggests that STRIDE Fitness’ trade areas are well-positioned to attract those visitors most open to its offerings. Residents of STRIDE Fitness’s potential market are 24% more likely to be, or to be interested in, Endurance Athletes than the nationwide average – compared to just 3% for the Fitness industry as a whole. Similar patterns emerge for Marathon Runners and Triathlon Participants. This indicates that the chain is well-situated near consumers with a passion for endurance sports and long distance running, helping it maintain a competitive edge in the crowded gym market.
Pickleball, a game that blends elements of tennis, ping pong, and badminton, is the fastest-growing sport in the country. And recognizing its broad appeal, some fitness chains have begun incorporating pickleball courts into their facilities.
Arizona-based EōS Fitness added a pickleball court at a Phoenix, AZ location – and early 2024 data highlights the impact of this addition. Between January and April 2024, the location drew between 9.1% and 33.3% more monthly visits than the chain’s Arizona visit-per-location average.
And analyzing the demographic profile of the chain’s location with a pickleball court reinforces the game’s increasingly wide appeal. Young consumer segments have been embracing the game in large numbers – and the Phoenix EōS Fitness location’s potential market includes a significantly higher share of 18 to 34-year-olds than the chain’s overall Arizona potential market. Residents of the pickleball location’s trade area are also less affluent than the chain’s Arizona average.
Pickleball has typically been associated with more affluent consumer segments, and it seems like this may be shifting. With more people than ever embracing the game, gyms that choose to add courts to their facilities may reap the foot traffic benefits.
The Fitness industry has undergone a significant transformation since COVID-19. The category’s outsize post-pandemic visit growth has begun to stabilize, and gyms are staying ahead by adapting to changing consumer preferences. Evenings are emerging as crucial dayparts for gym operators, likely driven by younger consumer segments. And niche fitness chains are seeing visit success, proving that there are plenty of ways for the Fitness segment to succeed.
This report includes data from Placer.ai Data Version 2.0, which implements improvements to our extrapolation capabilities, adds short visit monitoring, and enhances visit detection.
Grabbing a coffee or snack at a convenience store is a time-honored road trip tradition – but increasingly, Convenience Stores (C-Stores) have also emerged as places people go out of their way to visit.
Convenience stores have thrived in recent years, making inroads into the discretionary dining space and growing both their audiences and their sales. Between April 2023 and March 2024, C-Stores experienced consistent year-over-year (YoY) visit growth, generally outperforming Overall Retail. Unsurprisingly, C-Stores fell behind Overall Retail in November and December 2023, when holiday shoppers flocked to malls and superstores to buy gifts for loved ones. But in January 2024, the segment regained its lead, growing YoY visits even as Overall Retail languished in the face of an Arctic blast that had many consumers hunkering down at home.
C-Stores’ current strength is partially due to the significant innovation by leading players in the space: Chains like Casey’s, Maverik, Buc-ee’s, and Rutter’s are investing in both in their product offerings and in their physical venues to transform the humble C-Store from a stop along the way into a bona fide destination. Dive into the data to explore some of the key strategies helping C-Stores drive consumer engagement and stay ahead of the pack.
While chain expansion may explain some of the C-Store segment growth, a look at visit-per-location trends shows that demand is growing at the store level as well. Over the past year (April 2023 to March 2024), average visits per location on an industry-wide basis grew by 1.8%, compared to the year prior (April 2022 to 2023).
And within this growing segment, some brands are distinguishing themselves and outperforming category averages. Casey’s, for example, saw the average number of visits to each of its locations increase by 2.3% over the same time frame – while Maverik, Buc-ee’s and Rutter’s saw visits per location increase by 3.2%, 3.4% and 3.9%, respectively.
Each in its own way, Casey’s, Maverik, Buc-ee’s, and Rutter’s, are helping to transform C-Stores from pit stops where people can stretch their legs and grab a cup of coffee to destinations in and of themselves.
Midwestern gas and c-store chain Casey’s – famous for its breakfast pizza and other grab-and-go breakfast items – has emerged as a prime spot for fast food pizza lovers to grab a slice first thing in the morning. And Salt Lake City, Utah-based Maverik – which recently acquired Kum & Go and its 400-plus stores – is also establishing itself as a breakfast destination thanks to its specialty burritos and other chef-inspired creations.
Casey’s and Maverik’s popular breakfast options are likely helping the chains receive its larger-than-average share of morning visits: In Q1 2024, 16.3% of visits to Maverik and 17.5% of visits to Casey’s took place during the 7:00 AM - 10:00 AM daypart, compared to just 14.9% of visits to the wider C-Store category.
Psychographic data from the Spatial.ai’s FollowGraph dataset – which looks at the social media activity of a given audience – also suggests that Casey’s and Maverik’s have opened stores in locations that allow them to reach their target audience. Compared to the average consumer, residents of Casey’s potential market are 7% more likely to be “Fast Food Pizza Lovers” than both the average consumer and the average C-Store trade area resident. Residents of Maverik’s potential market are 16% more likely than the average consumer to be “Mexican Food Enthusiasts,” compared to residents of the average C-Store’s trade area who are only 1% more likely to fall into that category.
With both chains expanding, Casey’s and Maverik can hope to introduce new audiences to their unique breakfast options and solidify their hold over the morning daypart within the C-Store space over the next few years.
Everything is said to be bigger in the Lone Star State, and Texas-based convenience store chain Buc-ee’s – holder of the record for the worlds’ largest C-Store – is no exception. With a unique array of specialty food items and award-winning bathrooms, Buc-ee’s has emerged as a well-known tourist attraction. And the popular chain’s status as a visitor hotspot is reflected in two key metrics.
First, Buc-ee’s attracts a much greater share of weekend visits than other convenience store chains. In Q1 2024, 39.6% of visits to Buc-ee’s took place on the weekends, compared to just 28.3% for the wider C-Store industry. And second, Buc-ee’s captured markets feature higher-than-average shares of family-centric households – including those belonging to Experian: Mosaic’s Suburban Style, Flourishing Families, and Promising Families segments.
Rather than merely a place to stop on the way to work, Buc-ee’s has emerged as a favored destination for families and for people looking for something fun to do on their days off.
Buc-ee’s isn’t the only C-Store chain that believes bigger is better. Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s is increasing visits and customer dwell time by expanding its footprint – both in terms of store count and venue size. New stores will be 10,000 to 12,000 square feet – significantly larger than the industry average of around 3,100 square feet. And in more urban areas, where space is at a premium, the company is building upwards.
Rutter’s added a second floor to one of its existing locations in York, PA in December 2023. The remodel, which was met with enthusiasm by customers, provided additional seating for up to 30 diners, a beer cave, and an expanded wine selection. And in Q1 2024, the location experienced 15.6% YoY visit growth – compared to a chainwide average of 7.6%. Visitors to the newly remodeled Rutter’s also stayed significantly longer than they did pre-renovation. The share of extended visits to the store (longer than ten minutes) grew from 20.8% in Q1 2023 to 27.0% in Q1 2024 – likely from people browsing the chain’s selection of beers or grabbing a bite to eat.
Convenience stores are flourishing, transforming into some of the most exciting dining and tourist destinations in the country. Today, C-Store customers can expect to find brisket sandwiches, gourmet coffees, or craft beers, rather than the stale cups of coffee of old. And the data shows that customers are receptive to these innovations, helping drive the segment’s success.
The first quarter of 2024 was generally a good one for retailers. Though unusually cold and stormy weather left its mark on the sector’s January performance, February and March saw steady year-over-year (YoY) weekly visit growth that grew more robust as the quarter wore on.
March ended on a high note, with the week of March 25th – including Easter Sunday – seeing a 6.1% YoY visit boost, driven in part by increased retail activity in the run-up to the holiday. (Last year, Easter fell on April 9th, 2023, so the week of March 25th is being compared to a regular week.)
Though prices remain high and consumer confidence has yet to fully regain its footing, retail’s healthy Q1 showing may be a sign of good things to come in 2024.
Drilling down into the data for leading retail segments demonstrates the continued success of value-priced, essential, and wellness-related categories.
Discount & Dollar Stores led the pack with 11.2% YoY quarterly visit growth, followed by Grocery Stores, Fitness, and Superstores – all of which outperformed Overall Retail. Dining also enjoyed a YoY quarterly visit bump, despite the segment’s largely discretionary nature. And despite the high interest rates continuing to weigh on the housing and home renovation markets, Home Improvement & Furnishings maintained just a minor YoY visit gap.
Discount & Dollar Stores experienced strong YoY visit growth throughout most of Q1 – and as go-to destinations for groceries and other other essential goods, they held their own even during mid-January’s Arctic blast. In the last week of March, shoppers flocked to leading discount chains for everything from chocolate Easter bunnies to basket-making supplies – driving a remarkable 21.5% YoY visit spike.
Dollar General continued to dominate the Discount & Dollar Store space in Q1, with visits to its locations accounting for nearly half of the segment’s quarterly foot traffic (44.7%). Next in line was Dollar Tree, followed by Family Dollar and Five Below. Together, the four chains – all of which experienced positive YoY quarterly visit growth – drew a whopping 91.6% of quarterly visits to the category.
Rain or shine, people have to eat. And like Discount & Dollar Stores, traditional Grocery Stores were relatively busy through January as shoppers braved the storms to stock up on needed items. Momentum continued to build throughout the quarter, culminating in a 10.5% foot traffic increase in the week ending with Easter Sunday.
Like in other categories, it was budget-friendly Grocery banners that took the lead. No-frills Aldi drove a chain-wide 24.4% foot traffic increase in Q1, by expanding its fleet – while also growing the average number of visits per location. Other value-oriented chains, including Trader Joe’s and Food Lion, experienced significant foot traffic increases of their own. And though conventional grocery leaders like H-E-B, Kroger, and Albertsons saw smaller visit bumps, they too outperformed Q1 2023 by meaningful margins.
January is New Year’s resolution season – when people famously pick themselves up off the couch, dust off their trainers, and vow to go to the gym more often. And with wellness still top of mind for many consumers, the Fitness category enjoyed robust YoY visit growth throughout most of Q1 – despite lapping a strong Q1 2023.
Predictably, Fitness’s visit growth slowed during the last week of March, when many Americans likely indulged in Easter treats rather than work out. But given the category’s strength over the past several years, there is every reason to believe it will continue to flourish.
For Fitness chains, too, cost was key to success in Q1 – with value gyms experiencing the biggest visit jumps. EōS Fitness and Crunch Fitness, both of which offer low-cost membership options, saw their Q1 visits skyrocket 28.9% and 22.0% YoY, respectively – helped in part by aggressive expansions. At the same time, premium and mid-range gyms like Life Time and LA Fitness are also finding success – showing that when it comes to Fitness, there’s plenty of room for a variety of models to thrive.
Superstores – including wholesale clubs – are prime destinations for big, planned shopping expeditions – during which customers can load up on a month’s supply of food items or stock up on home goods. And perhaps for this reason, the category felt the impact of January’s inclement weather more than either dollar chains or supermarkets – which are more likely to see shoppers pop in as needed for daily essentials.
But like Grocery Stores and Discount & Dollar Stores, Superstores ended the quarter with an impressive YoY visit spike, likely fueled by Easter holiday shoppers.
As in Q4 2023, membership warehouse chains – Costco Wholesale, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Sam’s Club – drove much of the Superstore category’s positive visit growth, as shoppers likely engaged in mission-driven shopping in an effort to stretch their budgets. Still, segment mainstays Walmart and Target also enjoyed positive foot traffic growth, with YoY visits up 3.9% and 3.5%, respectively.
Moving into more discretionary territory, Dining experienced a marked January slump, as hunkered-down consumers likely opted for delivery. But the segment rallied in February and March, even though foot traffic dipped slightly during the last week of March, when many families gathered to enjoy home-cooked holiday meals.
Coffee Chains and Fast-Casual Restaurants saw the largest YoY visit increases, followed by QSR – highlighting the enduring power of lower-cost, quick-serve dining options. But Full-Service Restaurants (FSR) also saw a slight segment-wide YoY visit uptick in Q1 – good news for a sector that has yet to bounce back from the one-two punch of COVID and inflation. Within each Dining category, however, some chains experienced outsize visit growth – including favorites like Dutch Bros. Coffee, Slim Chickens, In-N-Out Burger, and Texas Roadhouse.
Since the shelter-in-place days of COVID – when everybody had their sourdough starter and DIY was all the rage – Home Improvement & Furnishings chains have faced a tough environment. Many deferred or abandoned home improvement projects in the wake of inflation, and elevated interest rates coupled with a sluggish housing market put a further damper on the category.
Against this backdrop, Home Improvement & Furnishings’ relatively lackluster Q1 visit performance should come as no surprise. But the narrowing of the visit gap in March – which also saw one week of positive visit growth – may serve as a promising sign for the segment. (The abrupt foot traffic drop during the week of March 25th, 2024 is likely a just reflection of Easter holiday shopping pattern.)
Within the Home Improvement & Furnishings space, some bright spots stood out in Q1 – including Harbor Freight Tools, which saw visits increase by 10.0%, partly due to the brand’s growing store count. Tractor Supply Co., Menards, and Ace Hardware also registered visit increases.
January 2024’s stormy weather left its mark on the Q1 retail environment, especially for discretionary categories. But as the quarter progressed, retailers rallied, with healthy YoY foot traffic growth that peaked during the last week of March – the week of Easter Sunday. All in all, retail’s positive Q1 performance leaves plenty of room for optimism about what’s in store for the rest of 2024.
